Fluid flow measuring means



June 23, 1936. J M NA|MAN FLUID FLOW MEASURING MEANS Filed Dec. 24, 1934 Juhua M Naiman BY Z Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT or ice 21044.80; FLUID FLOW amasuam'c minus Julius M. 'Naiman, Chicago, Ill.

' Application December '24, 1934, Serial no. issues 6 Claims. (01, 73-68) and accurately measured. If the amount diverted is a constant proportion of the total fiow, then,

the total flow is thus ascertained. Any variation of this proportion, unless taken into consideral'lj" tion, will cause an error in the final result. The means for determining the proportion of the fluid diverted generally comprises an orifice plate in the main pipe, an orifice plate in the small tube through which the fluid is diverted, and means 7 20 fonmaintaining such a rate of fiow through the orifice in the second mentioned plate that the.

difference in pressure on the two sides thereof is exactly the same as the diflerencein pressure on the two sides of the orifice in the main pipe. 2 In such a system the rateof fiow through the small orifice bears a fixed relation to the rate of flow through the large orifice only if the ratio of the coemcients of discharge of the two ori-' flces does not change with changes in velocity of fluid flow. I have found that with orifices of the 1 present construction there is a substantial change in thecoefiicient of discharge with change in velocity, where the diameter of the orifice is very small, as is the casein connection with prov 35 portional meters. For this reason errors asgreat as 15%, or more, may be, introduced. This has greatly limited the use of proportional meters.

I have found that the change in coefflcient of discharge of the orifice can be substantially eliminated by changingzlthe construction of the orifice plate or its position with reference to the direction of the 'fluid stream.

- Although a good dealof attention has been plates, the downstream side has receivedvery little. consideration. I have found that with a very small orifice, one whose radius is of the magnitude of 0.02 inch,,the shape of the downstream side is of primary importance. With an ordinary orifice of this size, thechange of the coeificien"; 1 of discharge with changing conditions of fior may be very great, in the order of '15 By prop- 1" erly designing the orifice, with particular ref erence to the shape of the discharge side thereof,

. source of error can be substantially eliminatgiven to the form of the upstream side of orifice ing a part thereof;

indicated by the arrow.

ed. I have found that the best results are obtained by using a sharp edge orifice with the sharp edge thereof on the downstream side, instead of on theupstream side, as was the usual prior practice. I have found, also, that with such an 5 orifice plate the downstream side should make an angle,'preferab1y'90, and certainly more than 75, with the direction of flow of the fluid stream at the center of the orifice.

-Knife edge orifices are generally of larger di ameter on one side of the orifice plate than on the other, the taper from the larger to the smaller end being necessary to form the knife edge. Suchorifice plates have invariably been placed with the smaller diameter side of the orifice facing lip-- stream, so that the orifice tapers outwardly beyond the knife edge. I have found that this is fundamentally wrong, and the cause of much error, in the case of a very small orifice. For best results the orifice plateshould be at an angle of approximateiy 90 to the fluid streamat the point of egress from the knife edge while maintaining the angle of approach on the upstream side at a proper value not to disturb the basic effect of. the orifice edge on the stream lines. An angle of 75" or more, with the center line of the pipe, was found satisfactory. In other words, in the present practice, the orifice plate should be reversed with reference to the direction of fiuid fiow, the customary 45 taper should be increased to at -3 least 75", and the width of the'orificeedge reduced to 10% or less of the orifice diameter. With the above in View, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved proportionate flow measuring apparatus which shall have a high degree of accuracy over a wide range.

It is a further object of the present invention to i I In the drawing: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a flow meter embodying theprinciples of my'invention; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of one of the, orifice plates of Figure 1i At "I isindicated a main p'ipei through which flows a fluid, in this case a gas, inthe direction A measuring resistance, which may be an orifice plate, nozzle, Venturi tube,

or the like, is indicated at 2. A flow deviator 3 I through the orifice 10 in the connectlon I produces a drop in pressure equal to the drop produced at containing two chambers l and 5 separated by a very sensitive featherweight diaphragm 6, is connected by short connections I and 8 with the pipe I on the upstream and downstream sides, respectively, of the measuring resistance 2. The diaphragm 6 controls a needle valve 9, that controls the outlet from the chamber 4. In the connections 1 and 8 are orifice plates in and H, respectively, of identical size, and of a shape to be more fully described as this description proceeds. The orifice plate ID has a measuring function,

which will be presently described The orifice I I is for the purpose of synchronizing the filling of the two chambers 4 and 5, and to prevent overloading of one side of the diaphragm when the flow is first started or any sudden change in pressure occurs.

A capillary cartridge l 5 is connected to the outlet of the chamber 4. This cartridge contains a number of capillary tubes 16 that break up the fluid fiow into straight line streams, so that the pressure in the chamber l1 necessary .to overcome this resistance is directly proportionate to the volume of fiow. The pressure is measured by a pressure gauge [8, or by a pressure recorder l9, which can, therefore, be calibrated to show the rate of fiow, in cubic feet per minute. The flow from the cartridge l5 may be allowed to escape directly to the atmosphere at 20, or indirectly through an integrating gas meter 22.

When gas begins to flow through the main pipe, 9. pressure difference is set up by the orifice plate 2. The lower pressure is immediately conmiunicated to the chamber 5, the.highcr pressure being communicated to thechamber 4. The preponderance of pressure in 'the'chamber I over the chamber 5 causes" the diaphragm} to open, the valve 9,.thus permittinggas to fiow from the main 'pipe 1, throughtheconnection I having the orifice lo'thereixr ,rnere s a-pr'e'ssure drop resulting from the flow of gas'pa'st the orifice ID, with the result that the pressui ejdifi'erence on the two sides of the'diaphragm 6 "is reduced, Equilibrium is reached, when the diaphragm 6' maintains the valve 9 open to'such an amount that the flow the orifice 2,' less"a very'small amount required to fiex the featherweight diaphragm, which may be neglected. Thenet effect is that the pressures on the upstream side of the orifices 2 and ID are equal, and the pressures on the downstream side of these two orifices are also equal. Thedifferential pressuresand the static pressures on the two orifice plates are the same and the temperatures of the gases are the same. Therefore, the specific gravities are also the same, and, in the absence of any change inthe relationship of the constants of the two orifices, the fiow through the orifice III will be a fixed proportion of the fiow through the orifice 2, and the meters I 8, l9, and

22 may be'calibrated to read in terms of the flow through the main pipe I.

must be exceedingly small. I have found that with orifices of such small diameter, as now con-' structed, there is an appreciable change in the noeflicient of discharge as the rate of flow changes.

Unless'the change in coefficient of discharge of the orifice ll bears a fixed direct proportion to the change of coeflicient of discharge of the orifice 2,

15% of the diameter D, and in the preferred con there will bea change in the proportion of fluid flow through the connection I as the total fiow through the main varies. Unfortunately, with present-day standard types of orifices, the change in coefficient of discharge of the pin-hole orifice 5 I0 is in no way related to the change of .coeflicient of discharge, if any, of the large orifice 2. For this reason, the range of use of proportionate meters has been quite limited.

'I have discovered that by using an orifice plate I I of a particular construction I can substantially elin'zinate pracically all change in coeflicient of discharge under changing velocity. An orifice plate constructed in accordance with my invention is illustrated in Figure 2, the same 'being drawn very much enlarged. In one construction that I have made and tested, the orifice plate III was a polished stainless steel disc of a thickness T of inch. The diameter D of the orifice opening was 0.042 inch, which is only a fraction of half a centimeter. The angle of approach, on the upstream side, indicated at R, was 155. The thickness X, of the edge or throat portion of the orifice, should be less than struction was not more than 10% of the diameter D, which means that the throat portion was substantially a knife edge. The angle, B, be-. tween the central axis of the fluid stream and the downstream side of the orifice plate, at the ori- 30 fice, was v I have found that the angle 13", on the downstream side of the orifice plate, is the controlling angle that determines whether or not the coeflicient of discharge will change with change in ve 35 locity through the orifice, in an orifice plate of this construction. I have found that this angle 13 must exceed 75, the particular angle 90" being the preferred angle. In the claims, where this angle is specified as being substantially 90" 40 it is tobe understood that a variation of 15 from the optimum value of 90 is within the scope of the limitation substantially 90. Tests of an orifice of this constructionhave shown that the coefficient of discharge does'not vary more than 45 2%: when the rate of fiow through the orifice plate varies from about 10% of the meter rating to On difierenttests these results were duplicated within it; of 1% over correspondingly wide ranges of fluid flow. t

It is to be noted that this orifice plate is placed in the fluid stream with its knife edge direct y opposite to what is now considered standard practice, that is, the sharp angle B", of 90, is on the downstream side rather than on the upstream 55 side. I have found that, if this same orifice is reversed in the fluid stream, the coeflicient of dischargeis about 15% less at a How of 100% of the meter rating than at 10%. It is apparent that such a wide variation of coefficient of discharge 50 of the orifice plate is generally intolerable for proportionate flow metering over the range of of particular dimensions, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to these 70 precise dimensions, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, I have shown the large orifice 2 in the main l as being of the same type of construction as that of the orifice l0. It is, however, to 75 shown in Figure 2 in the connection I while using any other type of orifice in the main pipe I, or using any other type of resistance in place of the orifice 2, such' as, a venturi, a nozzle, or the like. Also, while in the system here shown the gas that leaves the chamber 4 actuates' an indicating apparatus to indicate the total flow or the rate or flow, it is apparent that the indicating parts of the apparatus, such as the pressure gauge l8 which indicates the rate of flow, or the integrating gas meter 22, could bereplaced by other apparatus which functions to exercise control, or to actuate something, when the rate of flow or the total flow are of specified values.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes, I have here shown and described a preferred embodimentof my invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction herein shown. What I consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A flow meter wherein there is provided means for creating a pressure differential which varies as a function of the velocity of flow of fluid. to be measured, and wherein there is provided an auxiliary fluid passageway having an orifice member therein, and means for permitting a flow through the orifice member of a relatively small portion of the total flow, and regulating that flow to maintain the pressure differential on the two sides of the orifice member a predetermined function of the first mentioned pres-- sure differential, characterized by the fact that the orifice converges from a maximum opening on the upstream side thereof to a minimum opening on the downstream side thereof, the angle between the downstream side of the orifice member and the center line of the fluid stream being substantially 90.

2. .A flow meter wherein there is provided means for creating a pressure differential which varies as a function of the velocity of flow of fluid to be measured, and wherein there is provided an auxiliary fluid passageway having an orifice member therein, and means for permitting a flow through the orifice member of a relatively small portion of the total fiow and regulating that flow to maintain the pressure differential on the two sides of the orifice member a predetermined function of the first mentioned pressure differential, characterized by the fact that the orifice converges from a maximum opening on the upstream side thereof to a minimum opening on the downstream side thereof and has a knifeedge throat on the downstream side thereof, the angle between the downstream side of the orifice member and the center lineof the fluid stream being substantially 90.

3. A flow meter wherein there is provided means for creating a pressure diiferential which varies as a function of the velocity of flow of i fluid to be measured, and wherein there is provided an auxiliary fluid passageway having an orifice member therein, said orifice member in the auxiliary fluid passageway having an orifice opening of a diameter of the magnitude of a 5 fraction of a half a centimeter and means for permitting a flow through the orifice member of I a relatively small portion of the total flow and regulating that flow to maintain the pressure differential on the two sides of the orifice member a predetermined function of the first mentioned pressure differential, characterizedlby the fact that, at the orifice, the angle between the downstream side of the orifice member and the center line of the fluid stream through the orifice ex-- ceeds' 75. p

'4. In asystem wherein fluid flows, means for producing an auxiliary flow which is a relatively small and proportionate part of the total flow, said means including an orifice'plate having an 20 orifice opening of the magnitude of a fraction of a half a centimeter, the downstream side of the plate, at the orifice, making a larger angle I with the direction of fluid flow through the center of the orifice than does .the upstream side 25 thereof, said angle, on the downstream side exceeding 75.

5.'In a pipe wherein fluid fiow's, means for producing an auxiliary flow which is a relatively small and proportionate part of the total flow, T

said means including an orifice plate having an orifice of a larger diameter'on its upstream side than on its downstream side,'the orifice being tapered inwardly from the upstream side thereof to substantially a knife edge at its downstream, 35

and its downstream side making an angle exceedan orifice member therein, said orifice member in the auxiliary fluid passageway having an orifice opening of a diameter of the magnitude of a fraction of a half a centimeter, and means for permitting a flow through the orifice member of a relatively small portion of the total flow and regulating that flow to maintain the pressuredifferential on the two sides of the orifice member a predetermined function of the first mentioned pressure differential, characterized .by the fact that, at the orifice, the angle between the downstream side of the orifice member and the center line of the fluid stream through the orifice exceeds 75, and the length of the edge of the orifice parallel to the fluid stream is less than 15% of the diameter of the orifice.

.mLros M. Hamlin. 

